


Like A Moth To A Flame

by oncemootrash



Category: ITZY (Band), Stray Kids (Band), TWICE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crazy Rich Asians Fusion, F/F, Step-siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:21:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25992031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncemootrash/pseuds/oncemootrash
Summary: Mina has it all figured out. She was leading in the competition to inherit the Park family corporate empire ahead of her four siblings. She had suitors from all over the globe begging for her attention. She had her meticulously thought out life going exactly as she planned.That was, until the lady in red, her new stepsister by the name of Son Chaeyoung barges into her world, turning her life upside down.She should hate it. She really should.But she was drawn in just like a moth to a flame.
Relationships: Im Nayeon/Yoo Jeongyeon, Kim Dahyun/Minatozaki Sana, Myoui Mina/Son Chaeyoung
Comments: 11
Kudos: 124





	1. The Lady in Red

“There is a fork missing on table number 15!”

In the Park estate, amongst the marble flooring, antique chairs and custom-made curtains from Venice, the preparation for the biggest wedding of the year has commenced.

“No, not the silver-plated one, the gold-plated ones! This is a Park wedding, they aren’t savages!” The wedding planner shouts across the expansive ballroom, her voice echoing through the vaulted ceilings.

On the tables, linen coloured cards line each seat, in gold print it reads:

The Matrimony of  
Park Jin Young & Son Hye Woo

Amidst the hustle and bustle at the west wing of the Park estate, Myoui Mina sits at the makeup table in her dressing room, lipstick in hand. She draws a clean, precise line of coral pink on her lower lip.

“Remind me again, why exactly are you dressed to attend a funeral for your father’s wedding?”, beside her, her childhood friend Sana asks, smoothing out the wrinkles in her own lilac-coloured dress.

“Its a thing all of us have done, well ever since the second wife at least. Plus, we are dressed for a funeral, to mourn father’s previous marriage.” Mina replies with a small smile on her face

Her eyes were still trained on her mirror, tucking away a few stray strands of her blonde hair behind her ear.

Sana chuckles at her reply, but she isn’t wrong, Mina adorns a black off-shoulder dress, with intricate designs embroidered across the fabric. Along with her usual sharp cold gaze, she does look like a funeral attendee.

“Speaking of them, where are your lovely siblings?” As Mina stands up to grab her purse, her other childhood friend, Momo asks before popping two gummy bears into her mouth.

As if on cue, the loud rumble of a car engine, followed by screeching of car tires sounds from the foyer outside.

Looking out of the vaulted window, the cloud of dust caused by a bright orange supercar responsible for the ruckus, signified the entrance of one particular member of the Park family.

Descending down the carpeted spiral staircase to the arched front door, two figures dressed in black greet them with genuine smiles on their faces.

“Hey big sis! What a day for a wedding huh?”, Felix, asked while flinging his suit jacket over his shoulder, in his typical boisterous self. 

“Your blazer is going to get wrinkled, idiot.”, beside him, Ryujin snickers, pulling Mina into a short hug, which the latter reciprocates.

Felix and Ryujin are from the third and fourth marriages of Mina’s father respectively, only a year apart from each other. In Mina’s opinion, they have a weird dynamic, almost always bickering over petty things, but somehow still fiercely protective of each other. Felix had always been the most rebellious Park sibling, choosing an unpredictable career as a NASCAR race driver, literally driving away from the family business. Ryujin on the other hand, was the slightly less exuberant sibling, choosing to channel her passion for great food into becoming one of the country’s finest restaurant connoisseurs and restauranteurs.

“How have you been? How’s business? Oh! Have you seen the dad’s new wife? I heard she has a daugh-” Before Ryujin could finish asking her string of questions, the arrival of the remaining Park siblings snaps Mina out of her thoughts.

The twins, Yeji and Hyunjin enter the entrance hall with linked arms, almost regally, heads held up high, the resemblance between their faces uncanny. 

The twins were from the second marriage, Mina’s first younger siblings, she still remembers vividly the day the twins were separated from the rest of the family after the divorce. She had not seen them since last Christmas, though she did keep a lookout for Yeji through her never-ending posts on Instagram. Yeji was a famous influencer after all. Hyunjin on the other hand, Mina kept an eye on him through statistical reports of the companies he ran under the JYP group, measuring his numbers against her own. He was, at the end of the day, her greatest competitor for the position as heir to the group, brother or not.

“So, is this marriage for pleasure or business?” Hyunjin breaks the silence, looking straight into Mina’s eyes, with almost a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

It was no secret that Park Jin Young’s marriages were either due to infatuation for ravishing ladies, or to build business contacts for the expansion of the group, just like how it was no secret that Hyunjin and Mina were the frontrunners for the next leader of the JYP group.

“I have no idea, it may be a mix of both. I haven’t had a chance to meet her, caught up in work” Mina replies with a polite smile on her face. 

It wasn’t a complete lie, she had not been able to meet the new wife, despite the multiple invitations by her father for a “family dinner” with her, she had tactfully rejected all his requests. It felt strange, to sit in on a dinner with her father’s new love interest, who was not her mother. 

“Well, I am excited to meet our new sister, I heard she’s an art curator.” Yeji chimes in, in an attempt to break through the building tension between the two oldest siblings.

Mina already knows that piece of information, she made sure to screen her father’s fiance and her daughter’s file for any possible surprises that may come her way. She needed everything to stay as calm and predictable as possible, and no one can endanger her path to inheriting the family business. What she found interesting was the fact that no proper images could be found of Son Hye Woo’s daughter, Son Chaeyoung, only poorly taken pictures of her back, with the only picture of her face obscured by aviator sunglasses and a self-decorated mask. That was unsettling. She didn’t like the idea of meeting her new step sister on the day of the wedding, not one bit.

As she joined in on the conversation between Yeji, Sana and Momo regarding the new summer collection released by the Minatozaki clothing company, and the newest dance troupe trained by the Hirai entertainment agency, a sense of familiarity washed over her. She could hear the friendly bickering between Ryujin and Felix, with Hyunjin laughing along, and the excited chatter between her childhood friends and Yeji. This, she reminded herself, was family.

“Oh come on! I swear I put you in here somewhere. And what the hell is going on with this traffic?” Chaeyoung grumbles to herself in irritation.

Son Chaeyoung struggles to find her strawberry-flavoured lipstick, one hand in her backpack, tossing out whatever contents it held, the other on the wheel of her vintage restored convertible.

She should have been more prepared for her mother’s big day, but a last-minute inspiration for painting as her mother’s wedding gift, which now sat unceremoniously in the backseat, caused her to be slightly late for the event.

“Two hours isn’t that late right? I mean I probably only missed the cocktail reception. Right?” Chaeyoung asks to her favourite strawberry lipstick, which she finally found (after emptying her entire bag).

Despite everything, she was happy with her gift for her mother’s wedding and more than anything else, excited for her mother and her new relationship with Mr Park. He seemed pretty nice the last time she met him, and she was genuinely glad that her mother could have met someone she fancied after the death of Chaeyoung’s father.

With an excited smile, Chaeyoung stepped on the gas pedal, taking a left turn into the Park estate.

Son Hye Woo paces back and forth behind the door that led to the Park estate’s ballroom. 

“She will be the death of me, and to think she was the one who suggested walking me down the aisle,” she exclaims in exasperation. 

This was definitely not the first time her daughter had been late for an event, and she desperately attempts to make her 51st call to Chaeyoung.

Mina stands alone in the hallway of the mansion, staring at a painting of a horse, or was it two horses? A dog? Regardless, she stands at the junction of the corridor, not wanting to enter the ballroom until the ceremony had actually started. She was never one for social functions with endless (pointless) small talks and pleasantries. Besides, staring blankly at this painting, alone with her thoughts was far more interesting to her.

That is until she hears a yelp from her left side before she is tackled to the ground, literally, by a sea of blonde hair and red fabric.

She could smell the faint scent of strawberry perfume and could definitely feel the weight of a human being on top of her, her bare back touching the cold marble floor.

“Ah! I’m so so sorry! Oh my gosh!” Chaeyoung utters a string of apologies to the woman under her, struggling to push herself off Mina

She cursed her choice of heels and a long red gown that caused her to trip while running down the hallway.

In a fit of annoyance, Mina pushes the weird blonde girl off herself, using the gargoyle statue beside her to stand up once more. 

“You!” Mina had a creative combination of profanities and curses to shoot at Chaeyoung at the tip of her tongue.

Mina, you are beauty, you are grace. She composes herself, dusting off her dirtied black gown before looking up at the lady in red.

For a moment, the two just stared at each other in awkward silence, Chaeyoung looking at the taller woman apologetically while Mina’s glare softened for a split second.

Holy- She’s cute. Mina thinks to herself, before hardening her gaze once more, using her fingers to readjust her hairdo that she spent $2000 on just this afternoon.

Chaeyoung was simply awestruck, the women in front of her looked like a literal angel fallen from heaven, with doe-like eyes that were currently boring holes through her own.

If looks could kill, Chaeyoung was six feet under.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the ceremony will begin shortly, please do take your seats. Thank you” the wedding emcee’s voice booms across the hallway.

The staring contest between the two breaks off, and before Mina could criticise Chaeyoung for her poor walking skills, Chaeyoung widens her eyes, recalling her need to get to her mother immediately.

“I am so so sorry, but I really need to go!” Chaeyoung exclaims in a hurry, gathering her dress and running down the hallway before Mina could utter a single word.

Mina is left jaw-dropped, dumbstruck at the events that just occurred, and the utterly rude and eccentric woman in red who was running down the hallway.

“I...This day could not get any worse” Mina sighs and composes herself once more, entering the ballroom with perfect posture, and a small, polite smile on her face as she greets the wedding guests.


	2. Like A Bulldozer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina and Chaeyoung realise that they have special familial ties 
> 
> The rivalry between the two begins

**Like A Bulldozer**

  
  


Chaeyoung sprinted down the decorated hallways, past the fine china vases and the eerie portraits of random men, her heels clicking against the dark marble flooring, the sound resonating clearly until she reached the carved door that led to the ballroom.

Even as she pushed the heavy door open, her mind was still stuck in that odd moment shared with the breathtaking (and extremely intimidating) blonde lady in black. She had no idea how she had tripped over her gown while desperately finding her way through the sophisticated maze that was the Park estate.

Chayeoung had lived comfortably her entire life, not needing to worry about finances since her parents ran a successful design company. But she had never seen anything like the mansion she currently stood in. The ceilings were filled with drawings resembling that of the Sistine chapel and the hallways seemed to go on forever. The Park mansion (more like the Park castle) was simply an architectural wonder. If she wasn’t absolutely late for her mother’s wedding, Chaeyoung was sure she could roam the entire place for days just staring at the ceilings alone. 

“Son Chaeyoung! There you are!” Chaeyoung hears a familiar voice calling for her in what she could only register as vexation.

In front of her, she recognised her mother, only slightly taller than her, with brunette hair pinned in an elegant bun, wearing a white minimalistic gown, arms resting on her waist. Chaeyoung knew her mother was upset at her, understandably, for being two hours late for her mother’s big day. She noticed the fine lines time had placed on her forehead and at the corner of her eyes, how the roots of her mother’s greying hair could be seen up close. But at that moment, the only thing she could think about was how graceful her mother looked, even when she had a frustrated frown on her face.

“I’m sorry! I had a last-minute idea for your wedding gift and- and I really wanted it to be perfect, then there was traffic along th-” Chaeyoung apologised quickly before being pulled into a quick embrace by her mother.

“It’s fine, I just thought something bad had happened.” Her mother replied. 

Chaeyoung’s mother placed her hands on Chaeyoung’s shoulder, shifting a few locks of blonde hair away from Chaeyoung’s eyes. 

Chaeyoung saw the familiar warmth in her mother’s eyes as she smiled, they linked their arms together, turning to face the entrance of the ballroom. The mother and daughter took a deep breath in unison, before taking their first steps into the ballroom, welcomed by a waltz played by the string quartet, and the thunderous applause of the wedding guests.

Chaeyoung’s heart was beating wildly, not used to the blinding flashes of cameras and the full attention of the few hundred pairs of eyes. She looked forward, seeing Mr Park beaming widely at her mother, in a white tailored tuxedo at the end of the ballroom. There and then, Chaeyoung felt a wave of relief, seeing the genuine smile on Mr Park’s and her mother’s face, and her heart swelled with happiness for her mother as they neared the end of the red walkway.

Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes as she placed her mother’s hands in Mr Park’s, yet as she turned around to stand by the groomsmaids, she found a familiar pair of eyes staring at her in shock. 

The lady in black she encountered (more like fell on) in the hallways looked like a dead fish out of the ocean, jaw agape, eyes widened and her body frozen. It was then she realised the small pink flower brooch that was on the lady’s dress, similar to the one she had pinned on her own red dress. The ones that indicated the family members of the bride and groom.

_ Oh. _

_ Uh oh.  _

  
  
  
  
  


.

Mina strolled over to her designated spot at the end of the ballroom, beside Yeji and Ryunjin, calmly pinning the pink flower brooch handed to her by the frantic looking wedding planner. She noticed how her father fidgeted with his fingers, giving her a tight-lipped nervous smile as she stood in position, aligning herself with Hyunjin, who was across the red carpeted walkway. She in turn gave her father a reassuring look with a small smile. 

She couldn’t help as her mind drifted off to that peculiar girl in the red gown who literally fell on her, and how her bottom now ached slightly due to that incident. Mina sighed in annoyance while recalling her encounter with the smaller girl, silently hoping that the rest of her day would pass by uneventfully. 

The moment the ballroom doors swung open, revealing the bride and her escort as the classical waltz played amidst the guests’ applause, she knew her prayers went unanswered. 

There, linking arms with her father’s soon-to-be wife, stood the same blonde girl in the same red dress, now with an additional pink brooch pinned to the right side. The girl, whom Mina now knew her exact name:  _ Son Chaeyoung _ beamed brightly, her feline-like eyes twinkling with joy as she walked down the carpeted walkway, towards Mina and her family. 

Under the spotlight and amongst the flashes of photographers, Mina noted how the moment looked like a scene from a movie, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Chaeyoung’s blonde short hair framed her pointed chin, shifting slightly with every step. Only then did Mina notice the mole at the corner of her bottom lip, beside Chaeyoung’s dimples that appeared with her gummy smile. 

_ God damn it. She’s pretty.  _ Mina thought to herself. 

As Chaeyoung and her mother neared the end of the walkway, Mina felt the colour in her face wash away. It dawned on her that her very first encounter with her new stepsister did not exactly give a great first impression, and that she would have to  _ live _ with Chaeyoung in the same estate. Mina could see her meticulously planned life shatter into pieces by the intrusion of one Son Chaeyoung.

This was not good. Not good at all. 

As she made eye contact with Chaeyoung’s eyes, and sees the look of realisation on the latter’s face, Mina realised she had been staring for too long, and her usual passive image had been compromised. 

Mina shook her head, snapping herself out of her thoughts and placed a polite smile on her face, turning to view the rest of the wedding ceremony. She could still see Chaeyoung through her peripheral vision, noticing how she stood beside Ryujin, in an attempt to create distance between the two of them. 

_ This was going to be a long day.  _ Mina thought to herself. 

  
  
  
  


.

Before long, the official wedding ceremony had ended, and the dinner party had commenced. Much to Chaeyoung's  _ absolute delight _ , she was seated directly opposite Mina at the Park table, along with the Park siblings.

She had struck up a conversation with Ryujin and Felix over her backpacking trip in Europe Chaeyoung had taken in her college years, a pleasant distraction from the pair of brown eyes staring at her across the table. 

“Did you hike the Montblanc trail? I’ve always wanted to go there!” Ryujin asked, leaning her chin against her elbow on the table. 

“I did, the scenery was simply out of this world. Oh! I did a watercolour painting of the Montblanc mounta-”

Chaeyoung was just about to show Ryujin and Felix a picture of her painting when she was interrupted by Mina. 

“Ryujin, mind your posture. We are at a wedding.” Mina chastised, examplifying her point by sitting up even straighter than she already was. 

Ryujin pouted in defiance, removing her elbows from the table before hitting Felix’s shoulder as he snickered at Mina’s scolding. 

Chaeyoung could think about how Mina looked like a proud peacock, neck held high, nodding in satisfaction once Ryujin sat up straight. Mina caught her gaze, and what Chaeyoung registered as panic appeared for a brief second fashed through Mina’s eyes before she looked away, staring away in the distance. 

“Mina unnie, I almost thought you left the mansion, you didn’t enter the ballroom until the ceremony started. It isn’t very Mina of you to be late, did something happen?” Yeji asks with genuine concern. 

Mina’s face flushes slightly at the memory of her on the floor of the hallway, extremely un-Mina like, and looks across the table at Chaeyoung, who almost has a sheepish look on her face. 

“Ah, well someone who had poor  _ walking skills _ bumped into me in the hallway, so I was slightly late.” Mina replies, looking pointedly at Chaeyoung. 

She was slightly annoyed at how easily Chaeyoung had struck up a conversation with her two youngest siblings, how the three of them were laughing and chatting away despite having known each other for less than an hour. It almost made her feel threatened, which caused her to reply to Yeji's question with more snark than usual. 

Chaeyoung’s eyes widen at Mina’s reply, 

_ Poor walking skills? She was the one obstructing traffic in the middle of the hallway!  _ Chaeyoung thought.

“Maybe it wasn’t the person’s fault, perhaps you were simply obstructing the walkway. 

I can make a ‘Mina is here’ sign for you if you’d like, that way everyone would know to stay clear.” Chaeyoung snides back, arms crossing over her chest and smirking with content. 

Mina was dumbfounded at Chaeyoung’s comment, and the proud smirk displayed on the blonde’s face. 

“Or maybe that person could refrain from running down the hallway like a maniac, shoving others aside!” Mina raises her voice slightly, her eyes twinkling in frustration, staring directly into Chaeyoung’s. 

“Some people have good reasons to their actions, the world doesn’t revolve around you, you know?” Chaeyoung retorts, leaning forward as if to challenge Mina. 

Mina scoffs in disbelief.

_ This girl is unbelievable.  _ Mina thinks.

First Chaeyoung shoves her to the ground out of nowhere, and now she bickers with her in front of all her siblings. 

Mina was about to fight back at Chaeyoung’s remark, but was interrupted by her father’s appearance at the head of the table, arms linked with those of Chaeyoung’s mother. 

“I'm glad to see all of you are chatting away happily. This is a new chapter for our family, Chaeyoung and Hye Woo are now part of us, and I couldn’t be happier about that” Mina’s father starts. 

“Now of course, we will all be living together in the Park estate. As usual, Hyunjin and Yeji’s rooms are always open if you too want to visit. Chaeyoung will take the suite opposite Mina’s in the East wing, that way you girls can get to know each other better!” He continues with enthusiasm. 

The smiles on Mina’s and Chaeyoung’s faces both fall upon hearing the later half of Mr Park’s speech. 

Mina could not believe that she was about to share the same wing as Chaeyoung, whom she had denominated as a rude and crude  _ maniac _ , eyes widening imagining the migraines she would receive from daily interactions with Chaeyoung. 

Chaeyoung definitely did  _ not  _ want to spend any additional time with the uptight and self-centred Mina, and was seriously considering refusing Mr Park’s offer, to stay in her own studio instead. 

“Let us make a toast to Hye Woo, Chaeyoung and our family!” Park Jin Young announces with gusto, holding his half emptied champagne flute up high. 

  
  
  


Mina and Chaeyoung’s eyes meet with matching looks of horror as their champagne flutes clinked. 

This was the start of a new journey, and the both of them were  _ definitely  _ not looking forward to it. 

  
  



	3. A Thorn In My Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mina and Chaeyoung cannot get used to living under the same roof.

**A Thorn In My Side**

Mina swears she’s hallucinating. 

Her eyes flutter open, eyebrows furrowed, struggling to keep her eyelids up. 

She _has_ to be hallucinating. 

No one in the Park estate would ever _dare_ to be blasting loud, obnoxious, bass-heavy music in the morning. Not unless they would like their grave to be dug up by Mina herself.

Mina’s eyes close once again, as she wills herself back to sleep.

_“Tik Tok on the clock!”_

Mina shoots up on her bed, blonde hair in disarray, her fist clenched as she searches for the source of the ruckus.

 _Who in the right state of mind would be playing, and singing in the morning?_ She thinks.

Mina turns towards the direction of the walls that she _swears_ are vibrating from the heavy bass thumping from the music. That wall faces the shared corridor which leads to…

Mina’s eyes widen in recognition of her new neighbour who now currently stayed in the suite opposite hers. 

_She is going to pay for this._ Mina thinks as she storms off, jaw clenched and her chest filled with frustration.

“Tik Tok, on the clock, DJ blow my speakers up!” Chaeyoung sings at the top of her lungs

She jabs the canvas with her paintbrush along each beat of the song, her hips and feet moving to the music.

She wasn’t typically an early bird, but today, somehow, Chaeyoung woke up at 7 in the morning filled with vigour and energy. So, she decided to channel that rare burst of morning zest into painting a brand new art piece for her upcoming exhibition.

Chaeyoung smears bright red oil paint onto the corners of her canvas, singing along to her favourite pick-me-up sing that blasted over her vintage floor speakers.

That was, until the front door of her suite burst open, with a furious (and messy) looking Mina standing at the doorway.

Chaeyoung jumps slightly at her sudden appearance, and she sees Mina’s lips moving rapidly angrily, but over the loud volume of Kesha’s voice, Chaeyoung could not make up any words Mina said.

“What? Wait hold up!” Chaeyoung shouts towards Mina, dropping her palette to pause the music.

“I SAID: STOP THIS RUCKUS! EVEN THE BIRDS WENT DEAF” Mina’s voice could finally be heard.

Mina was furious. No, fuming. No, she was absolutely seething. 

Honestly, Mina never knew she could yell that loud, but there she stood, her throat slightly sore from shouting at Chaeyoung.

The latter, dressed in a tattered Metallica shirt, hair tied up in a messy ponytail looked at her with her head tilted slightly to the side, confused.

“Miss Son. Do you have any idea what ungodly hour it is to be playing such a distasteful and annoying song? You are causing an absolute ruckus, you might as well hire a whole marching band to parade the hallways!” In one breath, Mina ranted at Chaeyoung.

The latter’s eyes lit up in recognition, mouth agape before giving Mina a weird look, turning away quickly. Mina swore she saw pink rise up on Chaeyoung’s cheeks.

“Oh no, I’m so so sorry, really. I-I didn’t know that it was that loud!” Chaeyoung uttered out quickly, her back still facing Mina.

Mina was just about to berate the younger girl again until she heard her next words.

“I-Uh-You- Do you want to- Put some-some clothes on?” Chaeyoung stuttered out nervously, eyes dead trained on the floor.

It was only then that Mina realised, in her haste and anger, she had forgotten that she was only dressed in her pink silk _sheer_ nightgown, without anything underneath.

Mina felt heat surge up her cheeks, as she turned on her heels and ran off across the hallway, slamming the door to her suite shut.

Chaeyoung breathes a sigh of relief as she hears the door shut, shaking her head to clear her mind.

She didn’t mean to disturb the others at the Park estate, in her defence, the walls in her old house were soundproof. 

The image of Mina with her messy bedhead and dressed in only a nightgown scolding her appears in her head once more.

_She still looks stunning without makeup, even when she looks like she’s about to murder someone._

Chaeyoung thinks, before returning back to her painting.

Mina feels a mix of emotions churning within her as she sits across the breakfast from Chaeyoung.

Humiliation, anger, frustration, embarrassment. These feelings stir up a hurricane in her chest.

She couldn’t believe that she had stormed out of her suite without wearing, well without wearing pretty much anything in her fit of frustration. She also couldn’t believe that the one person who saw her that _unkempt_ and very un-Mina like to be her _step-sister_ she genuinely could not stand.

Mina stabs a piece of toast with so much strength the plate almost breaks, as she recalls the moments earlier.

Chaeyoung looks up at her guiltily, desperately thinking of ways to apologise to Mina. She sees that the tomatoes on the side plate have been left untouched by Mina, and in an attempt to break the sliceable tension, she slowly reaches out her fork towards Mina.

“Do you- Are you going to eat those?” Chaeyoung asks, motioning to the side plate.

Mina scoffs aloud, shaking her head in disbelief before Chaeyoung shifts the plate of tomatoes over to herself. Mina could not believe that instead of a proper apology for the whole fiasco in the morning, Chaeyoung was asking her for _tomatoes_?

“Um, I just wanted to say I’m really sorry for earlier, I didn’t know I was disturbing you.” Chaeyoung breathes out softly, before giving a small apologetic smile to Mina.

Mina should still feel angry, but she sees the genuine look of apology in Chaeyoung’s eyes, and the churning anger in her dissipates.

Mina clears her throat, dabbing the corners of her mouth daintily with her napkin, giving a small hum of acknowledgement before standing up.

She feels a need to give a retort to Chaeyoung, out of embarrassment of the morning’s events and out of confusion when she no longer feels the hurricane of frustration towards the latter.

“You shouldn’t talk with your mouth full. It’s barbaric” Mina looks Chaeyoung in the eye and announces, before sauntering out the dining hall.

Chaeyoung is left dumbfounded, as she lets out a breath of exasperation.

“A ‘I forgive you’ would have sufficed” Chaeyoung mumbles under her breath, now wondering if she does indeed eat like a _barbarian._

 _How am I going to survive living with her?_ She thinks.


	4. I've Met My Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaeyoung and Mina are both good at what they do.

**I’ve Met My Match**

Chaeyoung fiddles with the frills on her blouse, taking one last look at the painting that occupied the centre of her gallery. She painted it herself, the 2 metres by 2 metres canvas filled with abstract brush strokes and smaller intricate sketches of faces, hands and flowers. It was an impressive piece, one of the best Chaeyoung had done so far, but the pit of nervousness still weighed in on her. 

This exhibition was going to be a charity event, and not just _any_ charity event, but one hosted by Chaeyoung for the Park family and the Park group. This was her chance to show what she was worth to her newfound family, and to one particular Mina, that she wasn’t just a _barbarian_ clinging on to her mother’s marriage. Chaeyoung wasn’t a naturally competitive person, but just the thought of proving Mina wrong, now _that_ would put a smile on her face. 

Chaeyoung paces up and down the gallery, adjusting the description signs here and there, making sure that the red velvet ropes were perfectly aligned. 

“Im Nayeon: Im Technologies, must compliment her on the new launch, loves dogs. 

Yoo Jeongyeon: Yoo Restaurant Group, congratulate her on her two new Michelin stars, kind of a neat freak, no lipstick stains on the glass." 

Chaeyoung mumbles to herself, in a desperate attempt to memorise all the important figures that were going to be present at the event that evening. If she wanted to make a good first impression to the inner circle of… well the _affluent_ , she had to make the effort. 

“Hirai Momo: Hirai Entertainment Inc, Mina’s best friend, her dance cover reached 100 million views last week, loves food. 

Minatozaki Sana: Minatozaki Group, Mina’s other best friend, compliment whatever she is wearing and make sure she notices the Minatozaki earrings I'm wearing tonight. 

Park Jihyo: Park Capital, Mina’s business partner, make sure not to talk about banks around her, she owns several." 

Chaeyoung huffs, mentally high-fiving herself for memorising all the details she needed. She stood up straight, straightening her blouse and smiles a tight-lipped smile.

This was going to be _her_ night. 

Mina hated to admit it, but _damn_ Chaeyoung was _good_. She stood at the corner of the gallery, observing how the latter bounced from group to group, sharing laughter with the attendees of the event before making sure that they signed their names on the purchase list for each of the paintings. 

Mina eyed how Chaeyoung’s eyes brightened every time she approached someone new, how her pupils glaze over for a split second as she tried to recall who the attendee was, before springing into a spirited conversation. 

Chaeyoung was _good_. And Mina knew that more than anyone, because Mina was _that good_. 

She understood every step Chaeyoung took, every charming smile Chaeyoung shot at each guest and the way she worked the crowd to ensure _generous_ donations to the Park Foundation. 

Mina understood because that's what Mina does too. And Chaeyoung could do it just as well. 

Clearing her throat and taking a small sip of the bubbly champagne from her flute, Mina felt threatened and unsettled. 

She had thought that Chaeyoung was a naive, ignorant follower. But boy was Mina wrong, Chaeyoung was a player in the game. And a good one at that. 

“You look like you’re going to eat her up. And not in that way” 

Mina hears Sana comment, as Sana, Jihyo and Momo join her at the corner of the gallery, along the exposed brick wall. 

“She’s unexpectedly good. Like _good_ good. We might have the biggest donations the foundation has had since the charity concert I threw last year.” Mina replies, her tone coming off more panicked than she wanted. 

“Hmm, now that's interesting” Momo says, waving down a server for more refreshments. 

“Minari, you might actually have some serious competition this time” Jihyo adds on, giving Mina a raised eyebrow. 

The ball of unsettledness and anxiousness grows within Mina, as her brain goes into overdrive on the possible threats Chaeyoung posed to her perfectly manicured future plan. 

“Ok that’s it! I’ve got to get into action too!” 

Mina announces with gusto, chugging down the rest of her champagne before sauntering off towards Chaeyoung’s direction. 

“Well at least Chaeyoung invited her friends here, that Ms Kim over there seems a little lonely!” Sana smirks before walking away. 

“There goes hunter Sana!” Jihyo cheers as she raises her glass in the air 

“I just want to go home.” Momo sulks, as she takes another sip of wine. 

“Congratulations on your latest launch Ms Im! I heard the launch event trended over the Apple Event!” Chaeyoung states as Nayeon blushes slightly at the compliment. 

“Oh it was nothing compared to your lovely event, oh and Jeongyeon’s latest Michelin stars” Nayeon tugs on Jeongyeon’s arm which was linked to hers. 

“And you were just complaining that the restaurant's name was too hard to pronounce” Jeongyeon retorts, her eyes glinting with mischief. 

Just as the two continued bickering, Chaeyoung spotted Mina walking towards her, a confident smile on her face. 

“I’ve just had dinner at your latest establishment Ms Yoo, and it was _fantastic_!” Chaeyoung had never seen Mina smile so wide as she shook Nayeon and Jeongyeon's hand. 

Mina shot a quick smug look at Chaeyoung, as the attention of the duo was snatched away by Mina’s speech on technology and food, essentially pushing Chaeyoung away from the conversation. 

Chaeyoung was irked, to say the least, shifting away towards her friend, Tzuyu. 

“Dahyun got charmed away by Minatozaki, we might not hear from her tonight.” Tzuyu commented calmly, toying with the puppy charm on her bracelet. 

Chaeyoung spots Dahyun with her beet-red face, captivated by Sana’s flirting, and made a mental note that she need not give Dahyun a ride home. 

“Mina is good. Probably just as good as you, people are signing those checks” Tzuyu says honestly. 

Chaeyoung hums in agreement. Mina _floated_ around the gallery, gently intruding into conversations, placing a reassuring hand on the attendee's shoulder while giving her usual elegant smile. Mina was _good_. 

“Well, Ms Chou, I’m sure one check by the Chou Medical Group will put the rest all to shame no?” Chaeyoung jokes, inciting a rare smile on Tzuyu’s face. 

Just as Tzuyu was about to reply, the lights start to dim, signalling the start of Mr Park’s speech. 

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for coming down for this wonderful occasion. I hope all of you have enjoyed yourselves tonight, and have given great thoughts on supporting the Park Foundation for charity. I would just like to thank the newest addition to the family, Chaeyoung, for organising this _fantastic_ event tonight, and for donating one of her very own artworks for this great cause.” Mr Park announces from the balcony of the gallery. 

“A toast to Chaeyoung, and to the Park Foundation. Thank you to everyone.” Mr Park raises his glass towards Chaeyoung, which the latter mirrors with a small smile on her face. 

As the attendees applauded for her, Chaeyoung could see in the corner of her eye; Mina giving a polite tight-lipped smile, her knuckles turning white from holding on to her glass. 

For some reason, at that moment, Chaeyoung felt prouder of the fact that she proved Mina wrong more than the successful event she organised. 

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by @mnyntwice, @ill_just_sleep and @PinkOxyjin on twitter
> 
> Do let me know what you think, constructive criticism is very welcome!


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